ASLA's The Dirt blog
Cities of Light
Leni Schwendinger says that cities don't pay enough attention to the way lighting effects the built environment. She's currently working on the lighting for Times Square's new pedestrianized streets.
100 Acres of Art
100 Acres is the name (and size?) of a new park in Indianapolis that is a "hybrid of landscape, art, and architecture," according to Edward Blake, of Landscape Studio, the designers.
When Life Gives You Opium, Make Biofuel
A U.S. ambassador is proposing a novel approach to helping Afghanistan -- since opium crops are rampant, why not find a way to turn poppies into biofuel?
Innovative Ideas for Urban Agriculture
Non-profit TerraformOne held a design contest for ideas for creating productive green spaces in cities. Winners include plans to put seniors to work as farmers and a global system of levees.
New Park to Bloom Under Bay Bridge
Where the Bay Bridge touches down in San Francisco, a new plan is in the works to turn a motley collection of underused spaces into a vibrant park.
Parks are "Volatile Places"
Peter Harnik of the Trust for Public Land spoke recently about the challenges facing urban parks, and how they can be catalysts for revitalization and change when done correctly.
Parks Are Sprawl-Preventers
Kathryn Gustafson of the firm Gustafson Guthrie Nichol says that urban parks are an antidote to sprawl because they give city dwellers the room to breathe that often drives them to the suburbs.
Sequestering CO2 In Sidewalk Cement
A Silicon Valley startup is proposing to turn carbon dioxide emissions from coal and gas power plants into cement that can be used for everyday construction.
Preservation That Allows For Change
Can historic preservation make room for evolution, and even change? UNESCO's Cultural Landscapes designation attempts to leave room for places to evolve without losing their character.
Jane Jacobs and Parks
Anthony Flint, recent author of a book about Jane Jacobs, talks to ASLA's The Dirt blog about her influence on urban design and landscape architecture.
Music Shapes the Landscape
Landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy collaborated with cellist Yo-Yo Ma to design a waterfront park in Toronto. Bach's First Suite for Unaccompanied Cello served as inspiration.
Sustainable Olmsted
Vandergrift, PA was a company town designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1895. Today, the town is looking back to Olmsted's original plan to improve the town's sustainability.
Could a Saharan Forest End Global Warming?
NASA scientists are floating the idea that turning deserts on the equator into lush forests could single-handedly end global warming.
High Speed Rail: It's About Place
So says William Schroeer the State Policy Director at Smart Growth America, speaking at the High Speed Rail Conference in D.C. last weekend.
Secrets of Vancouver's Green Streets
The American Society of Landscape Architects interviews Sandra James, City and Greenways Planner with the City of Vancouver, about her city's innovative practices.
Cactus City
HOK is designing a brand-new, 8,000-acre city in India, and is taking design inspiration from a desert cactus.
Parks Are Cash Cows
A new report claims that Central Park in New York added $1 billion to the economy in 2007, and the new High Line park added $4 billion in new real estate developments.
ASLA Creates Sustainability Guide
The American Society of Landscape Architects has released an extensive online guide to resources for sustainable urban development.
Getting Resilient
A paper published earlier this year by a team of professors argues that cities need to learn to become more resilient as resources become more scarce.
The Horizontal Skyscraper
A new building going up in China is will be the as long as the Empire State Building is high. It will also be raised on columns to create a parkland underneath, giving the impression that it is floating.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
